CHAPTER 1
UnderstandingAllergy and Sensitivity
"What is food to one man is bitter poison to others," declared theRoman philosopher Lucretius more than two millennia ago. While manydescribe allergies as a modern malady, they have clearly been aroundfor a long time. References to allergic reactions can be found datingback into antiquity. However, the term allergy, and with it a broaderunderstanding of the nature of these mysterious ailments, only enteredour field of medical knowledge in the past century, accompanied by asteady increase in sufferers. If you are one of the millions who suffer fromallergies today, you have the opportunity to understand the mechanismsthat are at work in your body when you have an allergic reaction. In thepages that follow, I will endeavor to help you grasp the basic principlesof how allergies and sensitivities work, how they can be tested for andcleared, and how they affect your immune system, contributing to oreven causing chronic disease. I believe one of the keys to creating healthis to educate ourselves so that we can, in turn, educate our bodies.
When science first began to probe the causes of common allergicsymptoms, it was found that when exposed to specific substances, calledallergens or antigens, allergic individuals developed an excess of anantibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The IgE antibodies react withallergens to release histamines and other chemicals from cell tissues,producing various sensitivity symptoms. In other words, the immunesystem mistakenly identifies harmless substances as dangerous invadersand activates an antibody attack to defend the body.
It was discovered that quite a number of symptoms could arise fromallergic reactions, including many affecting the skin, the pulmonarysystem, and the digestive system. Many different types of allergens werediscovered, each able to create abnormal, adverse physical reactions inthe body. While these substances can be either toxic (such as exhaustfumes or other petrochemicals) or nontoxic (such as pollens or foods),those who suffer from allergies will react to them in quantities that areharmless to others.
Although a person can develop allergies to practically any substance,the most common allergens include pollen, dust and dust mites, animaldander (including dried skin, hair, or fur), feathers, cosmetics, mold,insect venom, certain chemicals, drugs, and foods. The most troublesomefoods are usually peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk and dairy products,eggs, wheat, and soy. Allergens may cause a reaction following inhalation,injection, ingestion, or contact with the skin. While allergic reactionscan involve any part of the body, they most frequently affect the nose,chest, skin, and eyes. The rarest and most dangerous type of allergicreaction, called anaphylactic shock, can affect many organs at once,causing a rapid decrease in blood pressure, a rash or hives, breathingdifficulties, abdominal pain, a swollen tongue or throat, diarrhea,fainting, asphyxiation, and even death.
There are between thirty-five and fifty million people in the UnitedStates alone who suffer from some type of significant allergy. Thesetypes of reactions can emerge suddenly at any age without prior warning.Many studies have shown conclusively that parents with allergies willtend to have children with allergies. However, research suggests thatwhat is inherited is simply the tendency to develop an allergy of somekind, not any particular type.
Part of the difficulty in determining the exact number of allergysufferers lies in how broadly or narrowly one defines the term. Medicaldoctors and scientists often maintain a narrow definition, asserting thatthe only true allergies are those that result from the activation of IgEantibodies (known as type I hypersensitivity reactions). However, millionsof people experience symptoms of sensitivity to a food or other substancewithout the IgE antibody reaction and often without any increase ofantibodies of any type being detected. These people can be said to havea reactivity, sensitivity, or intolerance to particular substances. Althoughthe causes may differ, the diagnosis and treatment of such reactivities,sensitivities, and intolerances often overlap. As a result, allergy researchand information benefits many more people than those who can be saidto suffer from allergies according to the limited traditional definition.Clinically, I have found that the measurements and interventions formany allergies, sensitivities, reactivities, and intolerances are exactly thesame. Therefore, I use the terms interchangeably. For this book, I willgenerally be using the term sensitivity instead of allergy, although theterms reactivity and intolerance are used as well.
TYPES OF SENSITIVITIES
Sensitivities can be classified according to the causative substanceor the resulting symptoms. There are also active (acute) sensitivities andhidden (delayed) sensitivities.
The first classification of sensitivities includes all causative substancesand is divided into the following subtypes:
• Ingestants, also referred to as food sensitivities
• Inhalants, such as dust and pollens
• Contactants, such as latex, chemicals, or animal dander
• Injectants, such as recreational or prescription drugs
• Infectants, such as viruses, fungi, or bacteria
• Atmospheric sensitivities, such as cold, heat, or humidity
• Organs, such as liver, stomach, and heart
• Autoimmune sensitivities, such as being sensitive to one's ownhormones, including thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, cholesterol,and adrenalin
• Insect sensitivities
The second classification of sensitivities lists those that can be definedby their constellation of symptoms. These include:
• Hay fever
• Asthma
• Skin conditions (including eczema, hives, and rashes)
• Headaches and migraines
• Stomach upset
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Conjunctivitis
• Anaphylactic shock
• Sensitivity-related diseases
Active or acute sensitivities can be of the immediate type, in whichsymptoms appear within seconds of contact after every exposure (forexample, hives, itching, vomiting, coughing, and wheezing) and usuallysubside within an hour. Active sensitivities may also be of the delayedtype, in which the reaction occurs hours or days after contact. Forexample, some food sensitivities are not to the food itself but to achemical byproduct of digestion or metabolism and may occur hoursor days later.
Hidden or chronic sensitivities may cause serious developmentaland functional problems or deficiencies and chemical imbalances. Forexample, a sensitivity to B vitamins may cause B vitamin deficiencies andresult in or contribute to chronic health problems, such as chronic fatiguesyndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression,digestive problems, asthma, and headaches.
CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF SENSITIVITIES
A sensitivity reaction can be IgE mediated or non-IgE mediated. AnIgE-mediated sensitivity is the traditional type recognized by conventionalmedicine, in which immunoglobulin E antibodies are produced in responseto environmental allergens and foods. Typical symptoms are hay feverand some forms of eczema. A non-IgE-mediated allergy, which is notalways recognized as an allergy or even as a sensitivity by conventionalphysicians, can also cause a variety of symptoms, such as headache,fatigue, or irritability. Sensitivities that are non-IgE mediated may alsoaffect the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. For example,in the case of asthma, the irritation of the lungs from sensitivities to dust,smoke, perfume, or bacteria may stimulate the parasympathetic nervoussystem to secrete acetylcholine, which constricts bronchial muscles andincreases mucus production, thereby triggering an asthmatic attack.
Sensitivities to such things as bacteria, viruses, or certain foods maycreate antigen-antibody complexes by combining with T and B cells, theadaptive defense system of the body produced in the bone marrow. Theseantigen-antibody complexes can lodge themselves in certain tissues ofthe body—for example, in the lungs or bronchioles of asthmatics. In anattempt to destroy these complexes, the immune system produces an auto-aggressivereaction that may inflame and possibly destroy healthy tissue.This inflammation may trigger asthma and create a chronic conditionthat may resolve when the sensitivities and the complexes are removed.
GENETIC OR INHERITED ALLERGIES
The most common cause of allergies appears to be genetic. Theprobability of developing a sensitivity is increased if one or both parentssuffer from any type of allergic condition. In fact, this factor is thestrongest when predicting allergies in offspring. In addition, when anexpectant mother is exposed to various toxicities, such as chemicals orradiation, or if she even suffers an illness, such as the flu or an infection,allergies and/or sensitivities may often develop in her unborn child.
SENSITIVITIES CAUSED BY POOR DIGESTION
The second-most-common cause of the development of sensitivities ispoor digestion. If a food is not being properly digested, it may eventuallybegin to trigger a sensitivity reaction in the body. One common contributorto leaky gut syndrome is poor digestion. Leaky gut is a condition inwhich the intestinal lining is more porous than usual. The abnormallylarge openings that develop between the cells lining the intestinal wallallow toxic materials that would normally be eliminated from the bodyto pass into the bloodstream. The primary cause of leaky gut syndromeis inflammation of the intestinal lining, usually brought on by one ormore of the following factors:
• Antibiotics, which allow the overgrowth of harmful microorganismsin the gastrointestinal tract
• Foods and beverages contaminated by parasites
• Deficiencies of enzymes such as lactase, which breaks down lactose(milk sugar)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin andibuprofen
• Prescription corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Prescription hormones, such as oral contraceptives
• Highly refined carbohydrates, such as candy bars, cookies, cakes,and soft drinks
• Mold and fungi found in grains, fruits, and refined carbohydrates.
Currently, the best way to identify leaky gut syndrome is to monitorsymptoms. People who have the condition can help themselves by takingdigestive enzymes with every meal, taking probiotic supplements dailyto correct any imbalance among beneficial and harmful bacteria in thegut, avoiding the foods to which they are sensitive, and limiting theconsumption of fatty foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
MALNUTRITION
Chronic severe malnutrition can also cause sensitivities. If people aredeficient in protein, vitamins, and minerals, the enzymatic and metabolicprocesses the body requires for efficient functioning cannot occur. Thiscan result in undigested food and an increase in toxic metabolites, whichcan eventually lead to sensitivities. These vitamins and minerals arealso needed for effective immune function, which protects the body byfighting off infections.
DRUGS
Chemotherapeutic drugs, excessive use of antibiotics, steroids, orexposure to toxic chemicals (or radiation) are important factors in thedevelopment of sensitivities or depressed immune reaction. For example,when antibiotics and steroids are used concurrently over a long periodof time, as is often the case with asthmatics, the antibiotics destroythe friendly microflora of the intestines, thereby strengthening andincreasing the longevity of injurious (pathogenic) microflora, such asyeast. A suppressed immune system is unable to destroy these yeastcells, which can eventually scar the intestinal villi and their lining cells,causing a leaky gut. This allows toxins, undigested food, and yeastto enter the bloodstream through the intestine, perhaps leading to asystemic overgrowth of yeast (candidiasis).
SENSITIVITY LOAD PHENOMENON
In my estimation, over 90 percent of the population has sensitivitiesor intolerances. In the majority of people, these sensitivities are hiddenor inactive. However, if, over a period of time, one sensitivity overlapsanother that is more active or acute—especially while the individual inquestion is physically, mentally, or emotionally stressed, lacks sufficientsleep, or is eating poorly—these chronic hidden sensitivities emerge andbecome pronounced, causing the body to fall prey to other problems.This is known as the sensitivity load phenomenon. Resistance breaksdown, the immune system cannot keep these sensitivities in check, andchronic health problems may arise. These can include asthma, arthritis,swelling, chronic pain, headaches, or chronic fatigue.
"It seemed to just appear overnight ..."
Angela came to see me complaining of asthma andchronic sinusitis. She had previously experienced astuffy nose from time to time, but she had never beenasthmatic. "It seemed to just appear overnight," she toldme, obviously confused and frustrated by her condition.When I took her case history, however, I discovered thattwo years earlier when her asthma began, she had hada severe flu that had put her out of work for a month.Around the same time, some significant stressors cameinto her life. Her mother died of cancer, and Angelabegan to develop premenopausal symptoms.
After a complete examination, testing found that she washighly sensitive to her own hormones, certain flu viruses,multiple environmental and chemical substances, sugar,dairy products, and grains. It soon became apparent tome that Angela was experiencing the sensitivity loadphenomenon. Since her daily exhaustion made hercrave carbohydrates, she had been living on a diet highin pasta and breads. Furthermore, she had never fullyrecovered from the flu virus, which is common whena person has developed a sensitivity to a particularpathogen. The death of her mother had added toher stress, and her premenopausal state had causedhormonal fluctuations. Since Angela's immune systemhad been significantly challenged, certain hiddensensitivities began to manifest themselves. Her bodybecame overly sensitive, and she developed symptomsof asthma. In other words, this condition did not happenovernight. In fact, most of Angela's sensitivities hadbeen there for many years. They just required the rightset of circumstances to create a tipping point and movefrom hidden to visible.
SENSITIVITIES, CHRONIC ILLNESSES,AND IMMUNE DISORDERS
We usually do not imagine that sensitivity reactions play a role inseemingly unrelated medical conditions. However, many experts aredrawing connections between a history of sensitivities and numerouschronic conditions and immune disorders, from chronic fatigue syndrometo fibromyalgia to alcoholism to obesity. In my decades of working withpatients who suffer from these conditions, I've come to the conclusionthat people develop immune disorders in response to poor food digestion,inadequate absorption of nutrients, and the development of sensitivities/allergies.
The growing incidence of these disorders reflects an increase ofchemical pollutants in our environment and our foods; a decline inadequate nutrition caused in large measure by poor digestion andabsorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients; and an exponentialrise in the use of pharmaceutical agents that can weaken and suppressthe immune system and toxify the body. These reactions accumulateover time and create a heavy burden on the body, which can overloadthe immune system and cause an eventual collapse.
Most immune disorders have some roots in allergies and/orsensitivities. Sensitivities are even considered partially responsible forsome types of behavioral or emotional problems. Problems such asADHD, mild and moderate depression, and exhaustion are quite oftenrooted in sensitivities, digestive stress, and toxicity. In this book, I willbe devoting chapters to the relationship between sensitivities and someof the most common immune disorders, including rhinitis, sinusitis, hayfever, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, candidiasis, inflammatorybowel disease, hypothyroid, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Below are afew other common conditions that are often related to sensitivities.
